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Cathcart Smash Repairs owner Damon Cathcart said the damage a kangaroo could cause to a car could be minor or could cost up to $15,000.
“It’s like hitting a brick wall,” he said.
“Most kangarooo work can be fixed because cars generally hit while on the hop, as they are jumping, so there is not not a lot of rail damage.
“Mostly cosmetic damage, they are repairable, unless it’s old.”
Read about a call for kangaroo monitoring here.
EARLIER:
New RACV Insurance claims data reveals that Bendigo recorded the most vehicle collisions involving animals in Victoria in 2014.
The RACV figures show that the City of Greater Bendigo was the highest risk municipality in central Victoria, followed by Macedon Ranges Shire and Mt Alexander Shire.
RACV General Manager Insurance Paul Northey said that the number of insurance claims relating to collisions between vehicles and animals across Victoria decreased by 3.5 per cent to 4561 compared to the previous year.
“We know that wild animals are generally most active at dawn and dusk and not surprisingly the majority of collisions involving kangaroos occurring around 6am, while wombat incidents peaked at 9pm.
The data also showed that collisions could happen at any time during the year, although there was a large spike in the number of collisions involving wombats in August.
“Continuing the trend from previous years, kangaroos were the most common animal involved in collisions, accounting for 79 per cent of RACV animal collision claims in 2014. Wombats overtook dogs as the second most common animal involved in collision claims.”
Mr Northey said motorists should always be on the lookout for animals and be aware that kangaroos are increasingly found in expanding urban areas.
“RACV received 3593 kangaroo-related claims, accounting for $15 million of the total $20 million paid to members as a result of animal collisions,” he said.
“Overall, the cost of animal collision claims averaged $4481, but for the 66 claims involving cattle the average claim was much higher at $7468.”